Sports

Rattlers host some big names in wrestling at camp

by KATIE COLLINS, Brush News-Tribune Writer/Photographer

Posted:
06/12/2013 11:33:08 AM MDT

Updated:
06/12/2013 11:51:24 AM MDT

Steve Fraser, Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, talks to a group of young wrestlers at the Rattlers wrestling camp that is bringing a lineup of all-star top wrestlers.
(by VERONICA IVEY, Fort Morgan Times.)

This week the Rattlers wresting program is hostingan open camp for all area wrestlers and have some special guests attending to share wrestling tips and pointers.

The camp started on Monday and continues through and Thursday.

Monday they had Olympic champion Steve Fraser.Fraser is out of Michigan and won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics which were held in Las Angeles. Fraser competed in Greco-Roman style wrestling and since his medal has coached Olympians that have come after him.

Fraser even coached the Tuesday camp guest Faruk Sahin. Fraser won the first American gold medal in this style of wrestling and won a total of 9 gold medals in wrestling, and coached another gold medalist in wrestling.

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He shared his story and offer words of encouragement to a group of boys who have a passion for the sport and gave them some advice and tips and watched them wrestle to offer technique pointers.

On Tuesday, June 11, the next all-star guest was world champion wrestler Faruk Sahin out of Turkey.

Sahin came to the United States after getting extensive training in wrestling and wrestled the tough matches and made a name for himself in the world of wrestling on the mats.

Sahin offered the camp advice and pointers in all the styles of wrestling, folkstyle, Greco and freestyle. Sahin has been a citizen for over 10 years now and even wrestled for the US Army team.

Sahin has had great success on the mats with several titles and championships in both Turkey and the U.S.

He gave the boys pointers and critiques on their technique to include demonstrating his favorite and most swift and strong moves on the Rattlers coach Matt Padgett.

The camp is composed of kids from Fort Morgan and those wrestling with Brush clubs who made their way over to the first camp of this nature that the Rattlers now have plans to host every year.

Here is what some had to say about the camp:

“It's really fun, I am learning more wrestling and I think this will benefit me for future tournaments and state,” said Alex Ortegan, a 12-year-old Rattler wrestler.

Diego Hernandez, 9 out of Brush says he enjoys learning new things like Free Style and Greco style pointers and his teammates, “It's fun learning and wrestling with new teammates from other clubs.”

Three of the kids attending this camp are using this as a buffer to learn some last-minute pointers and taking advantage of the ability to sharpen their skills as they head to Nationals in two weeks.

Braxton Parks: “I think this camp is a great experience to learn a lot of movesthat could be useful for Nationals, which I am going to try and use there,” said Parks. Parks' favorite part was meeting wrestlers from all over the world. Parks feels this camp is going to give him an edge at Nationals.

Kase Givens: “I like the camp a lot and it's going to help me for nationals. It was fun meeting wrestlers from Brush and Olympic wrestlers and wrestlers from around the world, and now after this camp I feel prepared for nationals,” said Givens.

Garrett Padgett:“The camp was fun wrestling with new people, like the kids from Brush and it was fun meeting some of the world's top wrestlers,” said Padgett. Padgett shares that in this camp he learned a new favorite move called the hip gut wrench, and that he is now anxious to use it at nationals where he feels confident he will place.

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